Yayoi ken

Personal experience

On a weekday in June, at around 1pm, we went to lunch at Yayoi Ken, located near the Gojo-Karasuma crossroads. As you enter the restaurant, the first thing you see is an order kiosk on the left, with a few people standing in front of it. Once our turn arrived, we chose our menu at the kiosk and proceeded to pay. The kiosk offers an English version, and the menus are accompanied by photos, making them easy to understand.

In this restaurant, you’ll find a wide choice of teishoku (set meal) menus, which can make choosing difficult. The menu is not limited to teishoku (Japanese set menus): you can also choose from donburi such as oyakodon (rice bowl topped with chicken and egg) or katsudon (rice bowl topped with breaded cutlet and egg), as well as dishes such as steak or even eel (unagi), considered a delicacy in Japan. Alcoholic beverages include draught beer, highball (whisky with soda) and lemon sour. Outside the restaurant, menus with photos are displayed, so it’s a good idea to take a look beforehand and decide what you’d like to order, to avoid feeling rushed when choosing. The menu also offers a “children’s menu” with a juice and a toy, so families with children can come with peace of mind.

Once you’ve placed your order at the kiosk and received your ticket, enter the restaurant: a member of staff will ask you how many you are, then show you to your table. The restaurant was relatively busy, but as there were still tables available, we were taken to our seat without waiting. Inside, there are both tables and counters. Although the space between the tables isn’t very generous, the atmosphere remains relatively calm for a fast-food restaurant, which makes for a leisurely meal. A waiter brings you a glass of water and a damp towel. After handing over your ticket, your meal is served to you in less than five minutes.

The “teishoku” you can eat here is very similar to the meals the Japanese eat at home. Even when eating out, they particularly appreciate this type of menu, consisting of rice, miso soup, a main course and small side dishes, as it offers a good nutritional balance. It’s an excellent opportunity to discover the typical Japanese eating style. If you’re interested, give it a try!

What’s more, this restaurant offers typical Japanese breakfast menus in the morning. If you’d like to taste a real Japanese breakfast, don’t hesitate to give it a try. A typical Japanese breakfast consists of rice, miso soup, grilled fish, tofu or natto (fermented soybeans), forming a well-balanced meal. Although, under the influence of Western culture, slightly more Japanese now eat bread than rice in the morning, these Japanese-style menus are still very popular. Being able to enjoy such a complete, traditional meal away from home, especially on busy mornings, is a real advantage and contributes to their popularity.